Message from the Mayor
Published on August 11, 2023
Kia ora koutou,
I'm thrilled to be back after a break and look forward to continuing our efforts to make Horowhenua an even better place to live and thrive.
I recently attended the Local Government New Zealand conference. It was an amazing experience where I had the opportunity to be part of a panel sharing all the wonderful things happening in our community, and championing our district and community.
Community events have also been happening and last week I attended the Age Concern Horowhenua grand opening of their new space and helped the Levin Bowling Club celebrate the opening of their new all weather green.
I also had the privilege to be part of the karakia for the beginning of the Shannon Railway Station work to raise the platform for the new trains. Raising and upgrading the platform will improve the functionality of this station and will benefit train users from Shannon who utilise this transport option, making our district more accessible.
Talking about transport. We want all the roads in Horowhenua to be safe for you and your whānau. As part of this mandated process, we're now reviewing the speed limits around schools in Horowhenua and proposing changing some speed limits in Manakau and Waikawa Beach.
If you haven't given us your feedback on our draft Speed Management Plan, there is still some time left. We want to hear from you. Do you think we've got it right, or are there any changes that we should make to our proposal? We will host a Facebook Live next week to answer any questions or concerns you may have as a community on our proposed Speed Management Plan. Keep an eye on our social media to participate.
I’m proud to be the Mayor of Horowhenua and I believe we have exceptional people in our community. Exceptional people always deserve to be celebrated, and we like to show our most outstanding volunteers how valuable they are. We also like to acknowledge exceptional young people excelling in various fields. These young people are tomorrow's leaders and are also the champions for change.
Nominations are now open for the Civic Honours and Youth Excellence Scholarships and we're calling our community to nominate all the remarkable people in our hāpori. The Civic Honours and Scholarship Awards are always a highlight in my calendar – and I look forward to presenting winners with accolades during an exclusive awards ceremony in November 2023.
Until next time – stay warm!
Bernie Wanden